Chinese stocks tumbled late in the session, while Japanese markets shrugged off disappointing trade data
Asian stocks settled mixed, as traders weighed an
impending Fed decision against
Wall Street's positive lead and a
bounce in oil prices. Leading the way was Japan's Nikkei, which popped 1.4% despite a wider-than-expected trade deficit, while South Korea's Kospi settled 0.05% above breakeven. On the other side of the ledger, China's Shanghai Composite dropped during the final half-hour of trading to end with a 2.1% loss -- amid news that a high official at the China Securities Regulatory Commission is being investigated for a "severe violation of discipline" -- and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gave back 0.5%.
European bourses have also failed to pick a direction, ahead of the Fed decision. London's FTSE 100 is off 0.3%, despite a 0.2% month-over-month gain in retail sales. By contrast, the German DAX and French CAC 40 are each up 0.3%.
